Normal Is The WatchWord
by xjoiefulx
Summary: It's dark when she enters the building, but she's used to that.


**Title**: Normal Is The WatchWord

**Fandom**: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

**Character/Pairing**: Buffy with subtle Cordelia&Xander undertones.

**Summary:** It was just another day.

**Word Count**: 550

**Author**: xjoiefulx

**Author's Notes**: This was written as a birthday gift for Jordan . It was just a small little something that I was inspired to write. It's been a while since I've written for this fandom and I think this is my first general ficlet, that actually wasn't shipper inspired even if there were subtle Cordelia and Xander or implied Buffy and Angel undertones in the subtext. It was more of a happy little friendship fluff piece and Giles stepping as father figure and protector of Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies tagging along to make it a better day for her. This, in my head, is how I would imagine that something like this would go down after the first time. I hope that you truly enjoy it.

**Feedback**: Concrit and constructive concrit are very much appreciated and wanted, but I will not tolerate flames of any kind and those comments will be deleted along with the guilty party banned from my journal.

**Disclaimer**: The characters do not belong to me and all rights go to Joss Whedon, co. and Mutant Enemy. The muse was just there and felt generous today and so I entertained her for a little while. Enjoy.

It's dark when she enters the building, but she's used to that.

If she was wearing a watch she would most likely look down at it, but tonight time doesn't seem to matter much to her at all. It was just another day. It doesn't really matter, she tells herself as she takes steps leading her down the familiar hallway. Her mom promised her their usual mall trip for her birthday, her father didn't call her again this year, and she'd made a big deal to her friends about not making a big deal out of her birthday given the events of the first one they had initially tried to celebrate. So why should this year be any different than the last one?

As she rounded the corner and walked through the thick wooden doors she'd become accustomed too, she noticed how still and quiet the library actually was at night. She found it sort of creepy, but in an odd comforting way. Inside his office, Giles was probably researching the latest demon or cross-referencing books. Turning her head, she caught sight of a small shadow chasing across the wall and before she could pull her stake from her bag, the lights came on and smiling faces sprang up everywhere throwing massive amounts of confetti everywhere, making party noises with those cheap paper blowers you can buy in any Card and Party shop and chorusing, "Happy Birthday, Buffy!" in singsong cheery voices.

Before she could stop it, a smile spread fully across her lips as her eyes lit up with surprise and genuine happiness that they hadn't forgotten, even if she had made a big deal of it the other day in the lunch room as her, Xander and Willow sat around their usual table and Cordelia had passed by with a snarky comment or two to add to the mix. Buffy shared a secretive smile on the inside with herself at the sight of Cordelia there, actually standing next to Xander. Was she really holding his hand in public? That would be another question to nag Xander unmercifully about another time. For now, she was completely content and slightly amused at the goofy cheap party hat that sat atop Giles head as he stepped forward encircling her in a slight hug and whispering, "Happy Birthday, Buffy." against her ear.

The only thing that was missing was Angel or maybe not so much. Hadn't there been a shadow that had chased its way across the wall only moments earlier? She smiled as she glanced towards the back of the stacks in the library and noticed a book hadn't been pushed completely back onto the shelf and looked as if someone had hastily threw it up there on his way out. It was nice that it was his way of saying, "Happy Birthday," and she needn't worry too much anymore.

Everything that she would ever need was standing right here in this room or not. It was nice and for the first time in a long time in her life, Buffy actually felt as if she were a normal teenage girl dealing with all of the normal teenage things they had to deal with for just a fleeting moment and even she had to admit that it actually felt pretty damn good.


End file.
